SOUTH BEND – Thanks to the new early December signing period, when Notre Dame football signed 21 of its 27 total commits, the coaching staff was able to get a jump start focusing on the 2019 recruiting class. Brian Kelly and his staff only needed to stay on top of a handful of 2018 prospects ahead of February’s national signing day, allowing them to spend more time on future targets.

“It really allows us to accelerate and reach out into ’19, ’20 and beyond,” Kelly said at the time. “You always feel in recruiting that you’re a click behind. You’re always trying to get ahead of it. This is the first time you truly feel like you’re about to get ahead of it.”

Right now, Notre Dame has nine commits in its 2019 class, which is ranked No. 11 nationally based on the 247Sports composite rankings. Coaches are currently on the road taking advantage of the evaluation period, which lasts through May 31.

Recruiting of course is fluid as coaches and prospects change their minds, but here are some of the main storylines to keep an eye on through Notre Dame’s current recruiting cycle:

What the Irish have

John Olmstead gets a congratulatory hug from his mother Pat after he commits to Notre Dame for his college football career.(Photo: Courtesy of Doug Hood)

Of Notre Dame’s nine commits, six are linemen. After this season, the Irish lose offensive line starters Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars, so adding depth there will be key. So far, they have 6-6, 295-pound four-star tackle Quinn Carroll from Edina (Minn.) High School, who chose the Irish over Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin; 6-6, 290-pound four-star tackle John Olmstead from Saint Joseph (N.J.), who had offers from Michigan and LSU; and 6-6, 265-pound three-star tackle Andrew Kristofic from Pine-Richland (Pa.), who held offers from Clemson, Florida and Georgia.

“On the offensive line, they’ve landed some coveted, highly recruited guys,” said 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong. “I think who you look to first is the guy who’s currently ranked the lowest but may end up being ranked the highest by national signing day. Andrew Kristofic is a multi-sport athlete that won a state championship in football and then has helped the basketball team make deep runs in the state tournament. He’s got some intriguing upside and is a guy that other college programs had at the top of their board.”

Defensively, four-star Jacob Lacey, who stands at 6-2, 300 pounds, is a “quick, penetrating interior lineman.” He committed to Notre Dame last July and is the No.7 defensive tackle in the country and No. 2 prospect in Kentucky.

Notre Dame is also starting to address its needs in the secondary with cornerback K.J. Wallace and safeties Kyle Hamilton and Litchfield Ajavon. Depending on how this season goes, the Irish could lose cornerback Julian Love early and need to keep building depth in a group desperate for more playmakers.

“Wallace is a quick cover guy at corner, Hamilton is a very athletic safety who is a little raw, but has a lot of upside, and Litchfield Ajavon is a safety who is going to walk in physically ready to go. He already looks like a junior or senior at Notre Dame,” Wiltfong said.

Holes to fill

Beyond those guys, Notre Dame has its eye on several big-time targets.

NaNa Osafo-Mensah out of Nolan Catholic (Texas) is a four-star defensive end Notre Dame hopes to land to address pass-rushing needs. The 6-4, 230-pounder is a long, tall, explosive pass rusher, something every team covets and the Irish lack. He could join a group of ends consisting of Daelin Hayes, Julian Okwara, Kofi Wardlow and incoming freshman Justin Ademilola. Osafo-Mensah is expected to make his decision May 19 between Notre Dame and Texas.

Defensive end Aeneas DiCosmo from Bergen Catholic (N.J.) is another player to watch at defensive end, and one who Notre Dame would love to pair with Osafo-Mensah. He’s a little smaller at 6-3, 217 and also has the ability to play linebacker. Academics is the No. 1 deciding factor here and DiCosmo almost chose to go the Ivy League route over his current top three of Notre Dame, Stanford and Michigan.

Running back Kyren Williams from St. Vianney (Mo.) is a bit undersized at 5-10, 200, but very high on Notre Dame’s list. He’s a pass-catcher and return man, and Notre Dame needs to land a talented running back in this class. After the dismissals of Deon McIntosh and C.J. Holmes, the Irish lack depth in its running back room (Jafar Armstrong and Avery Davis are cross-training at the position), especially with rising senior Dexter Williams in his final season of eligibility. Kyren Williams is also considering Michigan.

Linebacker is definitely a need for the Irish. This spring they had to get creative moving Drue Tranquill from rover to linebacker and next year, they’ll lose Tranquill and Te’von Coney. Four-star Osita Ekwonu is from Providence Day School (N.C.) and took his official visit in early April with Osafo-Mensah, where he spent some time with defensive coordinator Clark Lea. Ekonwu also holds offers from Alabama and Ohio State, among others.

Jack Kiser is a three-star in-state linebacker from Pioneer High School who also plays quarterback and helped lead his team to the Class A state championship last year.

“But what makes you feel good about his potential at a place like Notre Dame is the multi-sport component,” Wiltfong said. “His athleticism stacks up with all the kids playing at the highest level in high school football. He was all-state in shot put and discus as sophomore. He’s fast, an explosive thrower, and a terrific football player.”

Notre Dame will also need to add a punter to the 2019 class with captain Tyler Newsome entering his fifth and final year.